Envelop-clasp.



PATENTED JAN. 31, 1905.

J. A. SHERMAN,

ENVELOP CLASP, I I -APPLI OATION FILED MAB, 8, 1902.

WITNESS E5: -46). 6pm

- Patented January 31, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. SHERMAN, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

ENVELOPE-CLASP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 781,102, dated January 251, 1 905.

Application filed March 8, 1902. Serial No. 97,319.

To all whom; it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, JOHN A. SHERMAN, of WVorcester, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Envelop-Clasps, of which the following is a specification.

'My invention relates especially to a merchandise-mailing envelop, so called, in which a metal fastening of some kind is used to hold the envelop closed; and it consists in a clasp for such an envelop comprising an attaching member and two tongues-one a looped tongue and the other a solid tongue-formed from the metal cut out to make the loop, the device having other peculiarities which will be explained below.

My invention will be understood by reference to the drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan of a portion of an envelop to which my clasp is attached, Fig. 2 showing.

the first step in the process of closing the envelop. Fig. 8 shows the envelop after the clasp has been closed. Fig. 4 is a section on line 4 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a section on line 5 5 of Fig. 3.

A is the attaching member, which, as shown, is an eyelet of ordinary construction and used in the ordinary manner. The attaching member, however, may be otherwise constructed, there being'other well-known forms of attachment suitable for this purpose. From this attaching member'projects a loop-shaped tongue B and also a second tongue C, which lies within the loop of the tongue B and which preferably consists of the metal or a portion thereof cut out in forming the looped tongue B. This tongue C may be of substantially the entire length of the opening in the loop, or it may be shorter than this opening, depending upon the manner in which it is preferred that the envelop shall be closed. In Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, I have shown the tongue 0 as being shorter than the opening in the loop. I prefer that this tongue shall be slightly narrower than the opening in the loop, for the reason that in dieing out these devices unless a space a is left between the tongue and loop the burs left upon the edge of one of the tongues by the die engage with the burs on the edge of the other tongue, and consequently make it somewhat difficult to bend one of the tongues'with relation to the other. It must be remembered that these devices are used in very large quantities and that often thousands of envelope are used by a shipping-house in a day, and that to be satisfactory they must be closed with the least possible wear upon the fingers of the person tongue is to be bent should preferably be offset somewhat, as shown at b a, so that the bending operation may take place in the proper part of the device.

When the device shown in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, is used to close an envelop, it is preferably attached to thebody of the envelop D at a little distance from its edge d, so that the tip of the closing-flap will reach but not cover the attaching member.

The closing-flap of the envelop E is provided with a slot 8, which may be reinforced, if desired, and is folded in the ordinary man-v ner. The tongue B of the fastener is put through the slot 6, the tip of the envelop being tucked under the tongue 0. The tongue B is then bentover at the point 6 against the tongue C, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5, so that the tip of the envelop is locked between the tongue G and the bent-over portion of the tongue B, so that it will be held fast and yet may be readily opened when necessary.

It will be seen that when this claspis used the envelop will be very much more secu rely closed than where a fastener having a single tongue passing through a slot is used, and, moreover, that both by reason of the space left by the cutting out of the metal around the tongue 0 and by reason of the bending forward of the tips of either or both tongues the device is much easier to use than any heretofore known.

1 am aware of Letters Patent to Morris, N 0. 607,447, and disclaim the invention therein described, my invention being an improvement upon that of Morris in that I furnish the means whereby a tongue Will bend easily at a predetermined point and also in that I provide means in the slight bend given to the position, foras the tongue contains less metal than the loop it is desirable that it should be bent rather than the loop.

What I claim as my invention is 1. An envelop-clasp having an attaching member and two tongues projecting therefrom, one of said tongues being loop-shaped, and the other being solid, said solid tongue being shorter than the opening in said loopshaped tongue, whereby the tip of an envelop may be tucked under said solid tongue and said loop-shaped tongue maybe passed through a slot in the closing-flap of said envelop and bent down over said solid tongue to hold the tip of an envelop in place thereunder, as set forth.

2. The clasp-envelop above described having a closing-clasp provided with a slot near its tip, in combination with a clasp comprising an attaching member, whereby said clasp is attached to said envelop, and two tongues projecting from said attaching member, one of said tongues being loop-shaped, the other tongue being solid and shorter than the opening in said loop-shaped tongue, and struck therefrom, said fastener being located upon the closed portion of said envelop as described, whereby in closing said en vclop the slot in said closing-flap may be passed over said loopshaped tongue and under said solid tongue, and said loop-shaped tongue may be turned over to hold it in place, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my name this 1st day of March, 1902.

JOHN A. SHERMAN.

Vitnesses:

J. EDWAPD SHERMAN, A. L. MAXWELL. 

